Following consultations with our members, APNS has identified the following priorities for the 2024 NS General Election.
- Improving public access to mental health services through timely access to services, high quality of care, innovative implementation, collaborative care teams, educating the public on mental health and addictions care services and supporting organizations that provide mental health care.
- Public System Recruitment and Retention. Public health system and school psychologists are leaving public institutions to work in the private sector. This is mostly due to workplace culture, shortage of resources that affect the standard of care, lack of professional autonomy and wages.
- Increased Education and Training. There is a shortage of psychologists across Nova Scotia. Students who leave the province for training often do not return, whereas students who train here often stay. Additionally, the mental health needs of Nova Scotians are increasingly complex, requiring newly trained psychologists to possess very specialized skills. To meet the complex health needs of Nova Scotians, university graduate programs and residency training sites across the province need to be expanded. Funding is necessary to support increased opportunities for high quality, graduate-level training in psychology within Nova Scotia, which will enable graduates to better support diverse and underserved clients in high needs regions.
Please note that the Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia (APNS) is a non-partisan organization and does not endorse specific candidates or political parties. We work with all levels of government to advocate on behalf of our members to support policies that advance mental health care in Nova Scotia.